dbcve.org
Mac Os XOperating system · Apple

CVE-2008-3638

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-09-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Java on Apple Mac OS X 10.5.4 and 10.5.5 does not prevent applets from accessing file:// URLs, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary programs.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a Java Security Manager bypass vulnerability affecting Mac OS X 10.5.4 and 10.5.5. The Java runtime failed to enforce restrictions preventing Java applets from accessing file:// URLs, allowing malicious remote applets to read local files and potentially execute arbitrary programs with the privileges of the current user.

MitigationApply Apple's security update (SA-2008-009) or later to patch the Java runtime, or disable Java browser plugin until patching is feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:= 10.5.4= 10.5.5
Mac Os X ServerOperating system
Affected:= 10.5.4= 10.5.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Mac OS X version
    Run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or select About This Mac from the Apple menu. Look for the version number in the output.
    Affected if The version displayed is exactly 10.5.4 or 10.5.5
  2. Confirm Java is installed
    Check for the presence of Java by running 'java -version' in Terminal, or look for the Java directory at /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/
    Affected if Java is installed and responds to the version command
  3. Verify Java browser plugin is enabled
    Inspect browser plugin directories. Run 'ls /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/' and look for JavaPluginCocoa.bundle, or check ~/Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/ for the same.
    Affected if The JavaPluginCocoa.bundle exists in either Internet Plug-Ins directory, indicating the browser plugin is installed and could be enabled
  4. Check for prior security updates
    Open System Preferences > Software Update, or run 'system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType' to list installed applications and look for Apple security update entries.
    Affected if No security update from Apple (SA-2008-009 or later) appears to be installed, meaning the original vulnerable Java runtime remains

You are affected if your system runs Mac OS X 10.5.4 or 10.5.5, has Java installed with the browser plugin enabled, and lacks the SA-2008-009 security update.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Apple's security update (SA-2008-009) or later to patch the Java runtime, or disable Java browser plugin until patching is feasible.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later (or upgrade to newer major version like 10.6+)

  1. 1. Back up all critical data on the system before making any changes.
  2. 2. Obtain and install Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later (10.5.7, 10.5.8) which includes the Java security fix for CVE-2008-3638.
  3. 3. Alternatively, upgrade to a newer Mac OS X major version (such as 10.6 or later) which includes the patched Java runtime.
  4. 4. After upgrading, verify the Java version is updated and the security patch is applied.
  5. 5. Test that Java applets are properly restricted from accessing file:// URLs as expected.
Caveat Upgrading from 10.5.x to 10.6+ may introduce application compatibility issues with legacy software

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mac Os X Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,270
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-3638 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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